Improvement in balance-valves



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ALEXANDER wANIcu, 0E PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' Letters Patent No. 113,600, dated April 1l,- 1821.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALANCE-VALVES.

vThe Schedule referred toin these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concernY Be it known that 1, ALEXANDER WANIGH, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Balance-Valves, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which like letters represent like parts.

This invention relates to the construction and operation of balance-valves for steam-engines, whereby the pressure on both sides of the valve is nearly equalized, and consequently operated without any great loss of power.

Figure is a vertical sectional view through the` center of both the receiving and exhaust-valves Figure 2 isa vertical sectional view through the centero f both valves, but diierently arranged.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through thev center of both valves, showing a still dii'e'rent construction.

' B B isthe steam-chest, substantially"constructed of suitable material, and partitioned into ,three parts; H, the receiver;

G, the exhaust-chamber; and y A the openinginto the cylinder, connecting with both thereceiver and the exhaust'.

' 'In the top of the steam-chest are two circular openings, one for the receiving andone for the exhaustvalves..

Into the `opening for thereeeiving-valve Iv insert an inverted cup with a flange around the edge of its closed end, by which it may be secured to its place, the outer edge or surface of the-cup @filling the opening made for it. VUnder this opening, and parallel with the top of the steam-chest, is the partition separating the interior of the steam-chest .from the cylinder, through which partition, and directly'under-the opening aforesaid, I make another circular openinga little smaller than the opening in the top of the steamchest, around theedge of which inner and-smaller circular opening I make a valve-seat, to fit on which I set a cupb b, the shell of which cup should just enter and lit loosely into the cup a c when it is in its seat.

Through the center of each lof the cups a and b there should be a hole through which the pilot-valve rod c can work, the upper or inverted cup having a space for packing around the rod c.

In the ce'uter ofthe bottom ofthe cup bis an opening into and larger than the hole through which the rod c works, which opening has a valve-seat for a small valve on the rod c. A

Below this valve-,seat there is a small space around the rod c, into which are openings d d communicating .with the opening into the cylinder A, the area of which openings should be several times the area between the inside of the inverted cup aand the outside .ofthe cup b, the rod c projecting clear through the center of the bottouroi' the valve b into a step or socket, e;

Just below the bottom of the valve b ll place ou the rod c a nut or projection, leaving just room enough between the,A bottom oi the cupand the nuts or projectiouto operate the pilot-valve c into .the opening for the exhaust-valve, which opening is separated from the opening for the 'receiving-valve by a partition. I insert a auged disk, or, by preference, a flanged cylinder, a', secured to the top of the steam-chest B, just below this opening in the partition, separating the opening into the cylinder A from the exliaustfchamber. l make a circular openingalittleless in diameter' than the opening in the top of the steam-chest B-just The pilot-valve c is then li'fted,`lwhen the opening al d, beinglarger than the opening between the cups, the steam in the chamber formed by the two cups rushes through the openings d d to the cylinder, thereby relieving the valve b from pressure, so that, when the nuts or projections on the valve-rod strike the bottom of the valve 'b in its upward motion, the valve B is easily lifted from itsseat and the steam rushes into the cylinder.' The pilot-valveis then dropped or allowed to fall into its seat, simultaneously with which, or just a little before the valve or cup b drops or falls into itsseat, shutting oit' the steam from the boiler into the cylinder', when the operationA is repeated as before.

It is found that the steamadmitted from the boiler into the chamber formed by the two cups, through the space between the shells orrlrns of said cups, will escape so much more rapidly through the openings d d on lifting the pilot-valve than its admission through the smaller area created by the space between the rims of the two cups, as t0 equalize the pressure on the upper and under side of the valve b, so that, when the nuts or projections on the pilot-valve rod strike the bottom of the valve'b in its ascent, itlifts the valve b with little if any more than lits "own weight.

The stem or pilot-valve c is made to begin to rise, allowing the steam in the chamber 'E to escape through the openings d', d', relieving the upper pressure from the valve b', because, by reason of the discharge-openings d d having a greater area than the inlet-opening around the cup b', as soon as the nuts or projections on the pilot-valve c' ,come i'n contact with the valve-b' it is easily raised from its seat, allowing all the steam in the ,cylinder to 4escape into the exhaust-chamber. The pilot-valve is then lowered, the valve b returned to its seat, and the operation repeated asy before.

In iig. 2 the receiving or inlet-valve being in its seat the pilot-valve is raised and, the steam rushing in lls the chamber F, thereby immediately almost equalizing the pressure on both sides ofthe valve, so that, when the nuts or projections on vthe pilot-valve come in contact in its upward course with the main valve, it is lifted with ease, allowing the steam to llzthe cylinder. The pilot-valve is then dropped or'allowed tofall into its seat, cutting oi` communication between the boiler and chamber F. When the lower pilotvalve is made to begin to rise the steam in the cham-v ber F escapes into the exhaust-chamber, allowing the inlet-valve to find its seatand the exhaust-valve, f

when the nuts or projections' come in contact with it, to raise it,'and allow the steam from the cylinder to escape into the exhaustcha1nber, and so`on.

In fig. 3 is represented the duplication of the upper part ofthe valve'in g. 2.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An inverted cup, c', in combination with an upright cup, b, pilot-valve c, and openings d d, con'- structed and operated substantially as described.

2. The combination of the two valves D C, iig. 2, .constructed andoperated substantially as described.

3. The combination o'f the two valves E F, fig. 3, constructed and operated substantially as' described. `ALEXANDER WANIOH.

Witnesses: 4

JOHNv W. KELLBERG, Gno. S. SELDEN. 

